Tobacco stick



the end of the tobacco stick havng the pin 26 therein is supported on a suitable support and with one hand the operator can support the free end of the tobacoo stick and feed the tobacco stems of 56 of the tobacco 1eaves 55 in between the inner member [5 or 40 as the case may be and the exterior member I to where they will be pinched between the upper porton of the member I or 40 as the case may be and an intermediate porton of the stems will be disposed between the nturned portions II and |2 and the diverging portons 18 and 19 or the diverging portions 45 and 46 as the case may be, thus not only to pinch the tobacco leaves between the portions of the member |5 or 40 as the case may be and the innerwalls of the member I0 but also to pinch them between the nturned portions I l and l2 and the diverging portions I 8 and 19 or 45 and46 of the inner member I5 or 40 as the case may be.

As the tobacco 1eaves dry during a curng process, there will be a tendency for the inner member |5 er 40, as the case may be, to sa.g downwardly whch Wl11 tend to cause the top p1anar portion of the member |5 to press the stems aganst the inturned portions I l and 12 but to also in the modified form shown in Fgures 4 and this pinching effect will take place earlier because the inwardly convergingportions 42 and 43 wl1 tand to press the intermediate portions of the tobacoo stems against the proximate edges of the inturned portions of II and I2.v

In the drawngs -and specificaton there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the nvention'and although specfio terms are employed, they are used in a-generic and descriptve sense only; and not for the purposes of lmtaton, the scope of the nventiou=being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A stick for supportng tobacco leaves in a tobaccobarn for a curng operation comprsing a tubular member havng a slot-along ts lower edge and beingopen at both ends, an inner member disposed withn the tubular member and being pvotally suppored at one end by the tubular member, the other end. of the nnermember being pointed to. assist in drectng the stems of tobacco leaves ntothe space between the nterior of the tubular member and the exterior surfa-ce of the inner member, the portions of the tubular member adjacent the free end of the inner member beng turned upwardly away from the free end of the nner member to provide space for receiving the stems of tobacco leaves inserted between the nner member and the interor surface of the tubular member.

2. A stick for supportng tobacco leaves in a tobacco barn for a curing operation comprsng a tubu1ar member havnga slot along its lower edge and being open at both end-s, an nner member disposed withn the tubular member and being pvotally supportedat one end by the tubu- 1ar member, the other end of the nner member being ponted to assist in drecting the stems of tobiacco leaves into the space between the nteror of the tubu1ar member and the exteror surface of the nner mem-ber, the portions of the tubular member adjacent the free end of the nner member beng turned upwardly away from the free end of the nner member to provide space for recevng the Stems of tobacco 1eaves being nserted between the nner member and the nteror surface of the tubular member, the end-s of the nner member beng cut away to prevent their engaging tiers which support the ends of the tubular member.

3.A tobacco stck for supportng Ieaves of tobacco oomprsng an inner member and an otfmember the outer member being tubular andhaving a slot extending from one end to the other along ts lower edge, the inner member being disposed wthn the outer member and havng lateral1y projectng portions a1ong ts top edge and also havng laterally projectng portons along its lower edge whereby thestem-s of tobacco leavescan be fed into the slot in the outer member and passed between the projections on the inner memberand the nsde surface of the outer member to confine thestems durng a curng operation.

4. A tobacco stick for -supporting leaves of tobacco comprsing an nner memberand an outer member, the outer member beng tubular and haV1'ng 2. slot extending fromone end to the other along its lower edge, the inner member being dispo-sed. wthn the outer member and havng laterally projectng portions along its top edge and also havng latera.1ly projectng portons along ts loweredge whereby the stems of tobacco Ieaves can be fed nto the slet in the outer member and passed between the projectons onthe inner member and the inside surface of the outer member tol confin the -stems during a curng operaton, the slot in the outer member beng wdened at one end and the nner member being ponted at the same end to assist in guding the stems of the tobacco leaves between the nner and outer members.

5.. A tobaccostick for supportng 1eaves of tobacco comprisingan inner member and an outer member, the outer memberbeing tubular and having a slot extendng from one end to the other along ts lower edge the nner member being disposed wthn the outer member and havng laterally projecting portonsalong ts top edge and also having laterally projecting portons along its lower edge whereby the stems of tobacco 1eaves can be fed into the slot in the outer member and passed between the projections on the nner member and the nsde sur;fa.ce of the outer member to confine the stems during a curing operaton, one end of the inner member having a vertically dsposedslot theren and a pin mounted in the outer member and penetrating sad slot to allow vertcal movement of the inner member relatve to the outer member, the slot at the end of the outer member remote from said pin being wdened and the free end of the nner :member being beveled on each sde thereof to assist inguidng the stems of tobacco tially T-shapedin cross-secton and havng ts lower portion of greater wdth than ts intermediate porton and extendng through t.he slot in the outer member, means in one end of the outer member for pvotally supporting one end of the inner member, the other end of the outer member havng ts slot wdened and the free end of the nner member beng restrcted inwidth to assist in the feedng of stems of tobacco leaves between the inner and outer members, the lower to the other, the nnex member being substantally trangular in crosssecton and having its lower porton of greater width thanits intermediate porton and extendng through the slot in the outer member, means in one end of the outer member for pvotally supportng one end of the nner member, the other end of the outer member havng ts slat wdened and the free end of the nner member beng restricted in w.dth to assist in the feeding of stems of tobacco leaves between the inner and outer members, the lower p0rt0ns of the ends of the inner member being cut a.way to allow downwatd movement of the nner member relative to the outer member when the ends of the outer member are resting on tier poles in a tobacco ham.

DANIEL M. BOONE.

STEPHEN C. BOONE. 

